A Tiger's Tail
by RunsWithSpoons
Summary: Quinn's gone feral and he's on the hunt. It's up to Sookie to save him. Will he turn against her for leaving him... especially when Eric tags along? NOTE: Rating changed to M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the Characters (Except Sara and Stan). Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn lovers.**

**For you "Sooke-N-Eric" lovers... there's a little Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after _From Dead to Worse_  
**

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CHAPTER 1

Frannie showed up at my door, frantic and out of breath. Come to think of it, she had been frantic and out of breath the first time that she showed up on my porch. This was getting to be a habit.

"Sookie. You have to let me in! We need your help!"

_Here we go again_, I thought. And it had started out to be such a nice, quiet day off.

There was a surge of pain in my chest as I let in the sister of her former lover. I still carried a torch for Quinn, and the wounds were still raw. I hadn't realized just how raw they were until the possibility of seeing him again was drumming at me with the pounding of his little sister at the door.

_Quinn. My big, bald hulk of a Weretiger ex-boyfriend. That handsome man of perfection who didn't care that I had fairy blood… who just cared for me. Nope can't start thinking like this. It's over. Over's good. _

"Come in," I sighed. I was going to have to face it sooner or later. I pulled out two coffee mugs and started the pot brewing. Partly it gave me something to do with my hands, and partly because anything involving Quinn was going to take all the focus I could muster.

Frannie plopped herself down in an overstuffed chair and collapsed like a wet bag of groceries. "We need your help… he needs your help." She didn't have to quantify who the "he" was.

"I don't know what I can do for you. We're over, as much as it pains me to say it. I don't know if I have the strength to get involved with anything involving Quinn right now."

"Look," Frannie was on the verge of exasperation, and her voice started to betray her edge. "I know you two had your differences, but he risked his life for you, he would do anything for you… and you should do the same."

"I know," I said, softly. Usually I would be up in arms at someone telling me what I should or should not do, but Frannie was right. And hard as it was to admit it, I knew that I too would do anything for Quinn. "Tell me what happened."

"Well the last time I saw you, Mom and I were demanding why you broke his heart. You didn't say. You just said that it was none of our business, and that your heart was broken too… well…. Mom wouldn't let it go. She kept plotting on how to get even with you, even after Quinn put her back in that 'home' for the mentally deranged weretigers."

I bristled. I remembered my conversation with Quinn when he admitted that his and Frannie's mom was mentally insane. Granted it had happened due to some very unfortunate supernatural circumstances, but she was crazy all the same. In fact, it seemed that it was her lack of sanity that was the bane of Quinn's existence. Whenever she showed her insanity to the world, Quinn was stuck with cleaning up the mess.

"So, our crazy Mother…" Frannie continued, " she, um… well let's be frank. She tried to have you killed. You know, for hurting Quinn."

I was shocked. In fact, I was speechless. It wasn't often that I found myself at a loss for words, but here I was; coffee in hand and mouth agape, waiting for the punch line.

"Well, after you and Quinn broke it off, he wouldn't talk to anyone. He just worked, and did his thing but he was distant. He's never had a real cozy relationship with our screwed up screw up of a Mother, but now he wouldn't even speak to her. With me he was okay, but he was really distant. I've never seen him like that. He's never been totally distraught over a girl. No offense, but it's usually the other way around."

I _had _been a wreck over Quinn. As much as I hated to admit it I still was. But there was no way I was going to let his little sister see that I was just as much of a flunkie as the other girls he'd dated.

"So Mom met this guy in 'the home'; you know the Whispering Palms, and it turned out that he had some vendetta against you too… something about his cousin Sandra Pelt and you ruining her life and killing one of their relations named Debbie?"

"Yeah," I sighed, "it was self defense. Debbie was Sandra's sister." _Although you couldn't quite call it an accident_. I had almost, sorta-kinda dated Debbie's ex-boyfriend, and for that she thought I deserved to leave the living.

Frannie just wrinkled her nose and shrugged it off; as if killing a person was as easy as cleaning a litter box. "So this Pelt guy, well, he and Mom spent most of their days together planning how to kill you. Apparently, after talking about it enough, they actually got up the stones to do it. They hired an orderly; with the money Quinn had left for Mom, to sneak them out and call them a cab. Pelt and Mom shacked up for a few days as they made their way across country from Vegas to the some homestead the Pelt's hung at in the back woods of Mississippi."

I remembered the "homestead". Actually, "shack in the woods they borrowed from a friend" was more like it, but I had spent a less than favorable night there fighting off the Pelt family as they had attempted to kidnap me in retaliation for the "disappearance" of Debbie Pelt. In fact, Quinn had been with me so they kidnapped both of us. Quinn also had less than favorable memories of that night.

"Quinn and I were attacked by the Pelts," I stated. "We tracked them to the cabin, and…" I didn't know how much Frannie knew and I wasn't sure how much should be said.

Luckily, Frannie answered the question. "Yeah, after we found out about mom, Quinn told me about the whole them-kidnapping-you-guys thing, and how you and he kicking their butts with some vamps. That's why I'm here. When he found out what Mom had done, he went ballistic. He said that regardless of her reasons; or lack of reasoning, she had betrayed him. He said he'd lost everything because of Mom, he'd lost his youth, he'd lost his freedom, and he'd lost you."

I remembered the last conversation I'd had with Quinn. I told him that I understood that his mom and his sister would come first, and that was okay… just not okay for me. I knew it was selfish, but I wanted to be first in someone's life.

"Once he found out our deranged mother had fallen in with Sandra Pelt, he disowned her. He swore vengeance on the Pelts regardless of the cost. He said that it was because she had taken up with his sworn enemy, but I really think it was because of you. Because of the Pelts and you. Because of what happened at the cabin and you. And because he blames our good old Mommy Dearest as the reason for losing you."

I was already beginning to feel uncomfortable with the conversation—too close to truth and all that jazz, when Eric wandered in. Check that, Eric never really wandered. He always had a purpose, but he tended to make it seem as if it was aimless.

"Oh gracious heavens!" I stated, when I saw Eric. "Eric go home. Whatever it is, it can wait. I don't need your drama right now."

Frannie looked at Eric and snorted. "Figures a vamp would drop by."

Eric just eyed the two of us quizzically, and then he addressed me. "I'm here because of your drama, not mine."

_Well,_ a_ren't blood bonds convenient. Pain in the rear is more like it. _

I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to have a thought about Eric that didn't end in sarcasm. I'd settle for an emotion that Eric couldn't feel.

Eric studied Frannie for a moment, clearly trying to place her. Dawn of recognition crept over his face, and his eyes narrowed.

"Quinn," he said under his breath. The way he said it made it sound like a swear word.

Frannie ignored the fuming vamp and continued. "So after he disowned her, he went on a rampage. He left for Mississippi and I haven't seen him since. I've heard rumors that some locals are going tiger hunting because one got loose from the zoo. He went to kill them all…" she looked at me with sad pleading eyes and then quietly added, "… maybe Mom to."

"So what do you want me to do about it?" I knew exactly what Frannie expected me to do. Go to Mississippi and drag him out of there. I really just asked hoping to hear another answer.

"You've gotta find him! You may be the only one who can get through to him. Lord knows, I couldn't." Suddenly she looked up at me with rage and fear. She yelled, "He's doing this because of you!"

Eric put his hand on Sookie's shoulder. "I'll go with you."

I glanced up at him skeptically.

Eric shrugged, "I can feel there's no use talking you out of it. You'll need help to track an enraged tiger." Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered, "Someone needs to keep an eye on you, Lover."

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TBC

This is my first time posting fanfiction, so bear with me as I figure out how this format works.


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the Characters. Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

********  
**

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a little Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after _From Dead to Worse_**

**_______________________________________________________________________________**

CHAPTER 2

Having Eric the Viking Vamp along while I tracked down my crazy weretiger ex-boyfriend was not my idea of a good time. I could feel the showdown a-commin', I just wasn't sure who the showdown would be with… me and Eric, me and Quinn, Quinn and Eric. All of the possibilities seemed plausible; and frightening.

The more I thought about it, the more having a ticked off, overly possessive vampire and an unstable weretiger in the same vicinity seemed like a really, _really_ bad idea. But, it was a little late now. Eric and I were almost to Mississippi.

"What's wrong, Lover?" Eric asked.

He could always sense my anxiety. Curse this emotion-hijacking blood-bond!

"I'm just thinking. I'm worried."

Eric had been quiet most of the ride. He suddenly pulled over his raging-red corvette, and slammed on the breaks. He looked into me deeply, and then took a big breath. Since vampires don't need to breathe, this had to be one really tough subject that was coming up.

"Do you love him?" Eric asked.

"I… I… don't know," I responded.

"Do you love me?"

"I… in a way."

"So you love me, but you want to be with him." Eric had a nasty habit of turning questions into statements. Most people did the opposite.

"I don't know what I want." I started this tentatively to guard both his feelings and mine, but the more I hesitated the more he looked peeved. Okay, fine. He wants the truth, I'll let him have it.

"I feel things for you, but because of our blood-bond thingy, I don't ever know if it's really me. I don't know if you are really attracted to me, or just the fairy in me. Nothing between us is real, Eric. With Quinn, it's all real. He doesn't go ga-ga for fairy blood, and we don't have any suped-up sentimental overdrive. It's just genuine. It's just truth. With you and I, Eric… how do I separate? I just don't know."

He put his hand on my face and touched my cheek gently. I tried to look away, but his other hand came up and forced my head to stay turned to meet his gaze. "I _do_ know. I love you, Sookie Stackhouse. And it's driving me crazy."

His blatant admission threw me off guard. As I was lost in thought trying to digest his words, he leaned in and kissed me; rough. It was rough and ragged; a kiss that tasted of need that had gone unfulfilled for too long. My body reciprocated, but my mind recoiled.

_Oh no, here we go again. _

"Stop it, Eric." I slapped his face. "How do you know? How can you be sure it's not merely our, our… fluid exchange?" He was stunned, and I was seething.

Eric looked down at his feet. He actually looked sheepish; as sheepish as a viking sex god can look, anyway.

He answered so quietly the mosquito next to my ear was almost louder. "Because I loved you before we exchanged blood."

I was shocked. I was floored. I was dog-poo on the bottom of the car tires.

"But, Eric… the first time we exchanged blood; when I sucked the bullet out of you… that was a long time ago."

"Yes." His eyes narrowed, and his lips locked tightly. He put the key back in the ignition and started the car. I guess that was it on the subject. We drove the rest of the way in silence until we reached Mississippi.

As we crossed the Mississippi border a chill ran up my spine. I remembered a little late that I had made a pact with the Pelt family that they wouldn't try and take revenge for the death of Debbie as long as I stayed out of Mississippi. Now that I had crossed the state line, I guessed all bets were off. Come to think of it, Sandra Pelt had tried to kill me since that time, I had reason to believe she had killed her own parents to break the pact, and now the rest of the Pelts were plotting to go after me with Quinn's mother. So I guess all bets were off anyway.

We pulled into a gas station to fuel and stretch. It would be dawn soon. The trees around the station were tall and foreboding. They had been left to grow wild for decades, and now thick kudzu vines had completely overtaken them all. As I thought about Quinn, I realized that amidst the vines it did look a lot like a jungle. I could see that a Bengal Tiger could be happy here; Weretiger or not.

As I opened the door to get into the car, I thought I heard the distant roar of what sounded like a wounded tiger… or was that just the rumble of thunder in the distance?

******

It had taken Eric and I two days; or shall I say nights, to track down the most promising leads of tiger spotting. We guessed that he had been somewhere near the Pelt's cabin (or "friend-of-Pelts'-cabin" to be more accurate). It would appear that since Quinn's and my last dealings with them (oh yeah, Eric had been there too) they didn't want a repeat of the past, so Pelts and Company had scattered.

We were two days away from a full moon, and I really didn't want to still be in Mississippi with a bunch of angry two-natureds running around, if we could help it. The more we searched the further behind it seemed we were, and the more unlikely getting out of town by the full moon seemed to be.

Eric and I had been walking through the woods for what felt like hours. Someone was following us. The crickets had gone quiet, and all night sounds had stopped. This couldn't be good. Eric had sensed it to, and I could tell that he was ready to leap into flight at a moment's notice. Handy thing about being next to a vamp that could fly; escape routes came easier.

I was just about to say something about this to Eric, when I was almost attacked from behind. A thin, graying weretiger jumped toward me. I would have been meat scraps if Eric hadn't quickly pushed me out of the way.

We were in a dense part of the forest, and for Eric to fly we would need clearance. Eric placed himself between me and the tiger, but the weretiger was ignoring the vampire altogether. It was definitely tracking me. Have you ever seen a snake track a mouse that it's decided is going to be dinner? Well, I had (on the Discovery Channel, of course) and that is exactly how I felt.

This tiger wasn't Quinn. It's eyes were wild and mad. It was thinner than Quinn, and moved as if it's mind was out of sync with it's body. Every time I had seen Quinn in tiger form, he had moved with more grace and ease than he did in his human form. Seeing as his human form was darn near perfect; that was saying something.

"I think it's the mother", I whispered to Eric.

He gave a slight nod of understanding.

I suddenly had a horrible thought. What if the tiger we had spent two days trying to track down wasn't Quinn at all. What if Quinn was no where nearby, or worse, no longer in Mississippi. What if this had all been a set up between Frannie and her mom. Frannie had been there too when I told her mother Quinn's and my relationship; or lack thereof, was none of their business. Frannie had been just as angry as her mother, and both had blamed me for hurting Quinn.

I started to feel sick to my stomach. Now was not the time for a heave-fest. Hold it together. I was backing up toward a clearing so we could make lift off, when I stumbled over a root. Dang, my clumsy feet!

Within seconds of me falling the tiger leapt toward me. This was it. Death by tiger mauling. Claws extended I felt them tear the flesh of my chest. I screamed. I heard a loud roar above me, and my head fell back against the ground. There was a rush of wind, and I hate to say it, but I fainted.

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TBC

Thank you all for having patience as I learn the "ins and outs" of FF's platform. I think I'm getting the hang of it, and I'll have another chapter up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own the Characters. Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

******

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a little Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after **_**From Dead to Worse**_

_**__________________________________________________**_

CHAPTER 3

Obviously, because I am still telling you this story, I didn't die. I just want to clear that up for the antsy reader.

I don't remember coming to, but I do remember feeling a confounding amount of pain in my chest.

I also remember the agony feeling trivial compared to the terror when I realized my skyward view was completely blocked by the white belly of a giant tiger that was standing over me.

My body was splayed on the woodland floor, and I was squarely between a tiger's four mammoth paws. I started shaking all over. I heard a tiger's roar, but this roar didn't come from the tiger standing on top of me.

Now I was confused.

Eric came up behind the tiger, but it didn't move or address Eric's presence. The tiger above me growled low, and stared deep into the thicket. _Then_ it turned it's head to look at Eric. If I wasn't so dazed from what I'm sure was a concussion (or blood loss, maybe) I'm sure I would have seen things more clearly. But; in my altered, light-headed state, what I hallucinated was that the tiger nodded politely at Eric. Then the tiger bounded off into the woods with a roar.

I ignored the pain and attempted to lift my head to watch. This tiger was an enormous orange, white, and black tiger. A Bengal Tiger. _My tiger? _I watched him sprint and vault gracefully over a fallen tree before disappearing into the overgrowth.

"Quinn?" I asked Eric.

Eric was now kneeling, tending to my shredded chest. He just nodded.

So Quinn was there. Somewhere; between his mother trying to kill me and me coming to from fainting, he had found me. And I thought I was the one looking for him. A wave of relief washed over me. Frannie hadn't set us up. His mother really was the only one out to get me (besides the Pelt clan, of course); and even though he'd bounded off to places unknown, we found my Quinn and knew that he was definitely here.

Looking at the concern on Eric's face, I decided that possibly I hadn't taken in the full gravity of my own situation.

When Eric's eyes met mine they were full of fear and pain. He sat down behind me and pulled my head into his lap.

"You've lost a lot of blood." His voice was flat and distant. "The wounds are bad. You need to make a choice." He began stroking my hair, but he was clearly lost in thought.

What choice? Choice to live? Choice to die? Choice of shoes?

"If you prefer, I will take you to a human doctor. But if we do that they will have snipers, and hunters out here tonight to kill your tiger. I can give you my blood and heal you myself, but our bond will be deeper. If it isn't already, another blood exchange will likely be permanent."

Now I understood "choice".

I wanted another "choice".

I hated "choice".

"If the bond is permanent," he said quietly, "you will never have your answer if our love is for real." I saw the heavy sadness in his eyes. I felt the weight of his anguish in his heart.

_Infernal blood bond!_

There had to be another alternative. My head was fuzzy with blood loss. I couldn't think, but neither of these options sounded preferable.

As I started to fade into the darkness, I mumbled the only saving word I could think of…

"Grandfather…"

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TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own the Characters. Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

******

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a wee bit of Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after _From Dead to Worse_**

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CHAPTER 4

Now for those of you who don't know—I am part fairy. I myself didn't know this until a few months ago. Apparently, my great-grandfather is some kind of fairy prince, or fairy king… who knows. Anyhow, fairy blood is intoxicating and irresistible to vampires. It's like vamp-crack (thus my comment to Eric earlier about how he was only interested in me for my fairy blood).

Anyhow, when I met my great-grandfather he gave me a card with his phone number (does anyone else think it's odd that you call your fairy via cell phone?). So, he told me to call him the case of an emergency.

I would definitely call dying "an emergency". Seeing as I wasn't prepared to send one of my ex-boyfriends to either the morgue or the zoo any more than I was willing to be permanently united with a bunch of false feelings to the other… death or dear ole' grandpa were looking like my best two options.

When I woke Niall, my great-grandfather, was sitting by my bedside. Even though he was ancient, he was the most beautiful person I've ever seen. I use the term "person" here loosely. Gotta love those fairy genes.

I smiled at my grandfather, and I sucked in a deep breath to satiate a yawn. When I did, my chest burned. I suddenly remembered that had I recently been a scratching post for Quinn's mother.

I groaned. I was not exactly gleeful at the idea of adding more scars to my bodily collection. Scars on my chest and breasts weren't exactly the most well placed for a girl who liked to accentuate her assets. So turtlenecks in summer I guessed would be my new fashion statement. When I looked down to examine the damage, I was astounded to find there were no marks at all.

I must've looked shell-shocked because great-grandfather nodded and said "You've healed well. I'm glad that you called. I can't say that vampire blood would have done as pure of a healing."

"Thank you Great-Grandfather," I mustered up the words to say.

He smiled. His smile was warmer than fresh bread from the oven.

"Your blood-bonded filled me in. He did well in calling me. I am pleased that you asked him to call. I do have a question."

Sensing that this was not going to be an easy one, I sat up a little straighter in my bed.

"Eric Northman said that you were afraid of your choices, which is why you called me. I want to hear what troubles you. "

What is it with all these Supes turning what was supposed to be a question into a statement?

I hadn't really planned on spilling the beans on my "boy troubles" to my great-grandfather, but he seemed so genuine that when he asked that it was hard to refuse. So, I told him all about the how, when, and why of not wanting harm to come to Quinn; and not wanting to be further bonded to Eric. Great-grandfather didn't say much. He just nodded.

When I finished he stated, "This pleases me. You did not want to make a choice that would remove the freedom and free will of others, so you chose to call me."

Honestly, I hadn't looked at it that way, but I guess you could say that I didn't want to choose their fates for them.

Great-grandfather stood suddenly with a commanding presence. "You are very much healed, but you need more rest. After you have rested you will be returned. Thank you for calling on me. Please continue to keep me informed."

Much to my surprise, he leaned over a placed a kiss on my forehead. This is not something you expect a very formal Fairy Prince Grandfather to do. But it is something you'd expect your human grandfather to do. I was touched that he was trying.

The kiss must have been more than a kiss, because the next thing I remember was waking up in the middle of the woods. I guess if I had wanted to be "returned" to a nice soft hotel bed, I should have asked for it. He did say returned. I should have known it would be to the exact same spot where he found me.

The sun had just set and Eric was walking through the forest to meet me. When he was about ten feet away he stopped abruptly, and had the most curious look on his face. His eyes became playfully wild, and I could feel the lust rising in him.

_Uh-oh._

"You had a nice time with the fairies?" Eric asked as he licked his lips. He sniffed the air, and began to inch closer.

"Oh, no. You keep your distance there, Buddy." I certainly had no intention of being Vampire Twinkie… but given Eric's increasingly mischievous grin, I may not have a choice.

_Thanks, Grandpa, for making my taxi driver back to reality someone who thinks I smell like dessert._

Certainly, Grandfather hadn't thought this through when he told Eric to meet me here… or maybe he had and he was just curious to see what would happen. Although Grandfather seemed to think Eric's ties to me were enough to keep my own blood in my own body; I wasn't as trusting. I picked a large stick off of the woodland floor and used it to maintain our distance.

"It's wooden, and I'll use it." My threat to Eric was weak. Somehow, my pointy piece of firewood just wasn't looking very lethal.

Eric stopped walking and dropped his gaze. "Would you?"

"Would I what?" I was getting perturbed now. "Would I use this twisted branch of a stake on you?"

Eric nodded.

I thought about it and then dropped my tone. "No," I said softly. I too looked down at the woodland floor, and dropped my stick.

We both sat down where we stood. I guess Grandfather was right after all. Go, Grandpa.

While were both lost in our own thoughts, we heard a roar in the distance. Eric and I looked at each other. "Quinn" we both said.

There was something wrong in his roar. It sounded hurt and angry. Funny, I never thought much about the different emotions in animal sounds until half the animals I knew were two-natured.

We rose and headed in the direction of the noise, this time being more careful to skirt the edges near clearings and leave room for take-off if needed.

We walked for what seemed like hours. I was beginning to wonder if we were going in the wrong direction when I heard another rumble of ticked off tiger. This snarl was close. The woods were silent of any other sounds, so hearing his growl was easily distinct.

Eric knelt down and examined the ground. He outlined the paw print of a tiger in the dirt with his finger. He looked at me, nodded, and pointed to the North. I hadn't really thought about it before, but I guessed that he would have done some tracking back in his Viking days.

We walked in the direction that Eric indicated. I realized that my heart was beating fast. Was it because I was nervous about getting so close to a tiger again, or was it because I was getting close to Quinn?

Eric hung back a bit, but motioned me to move forward. In the brambles was a tiger, and he was caught in a hunter's trap.

His eyes were wild and menacing. I took a step nearer and he growled. There was nothing tame or gentle in this tiger's gaze that I recognized.

I looked up at the sky and for the first time, and I realized it was the full moon. Oh great. A crazy weretiger caught in a trap, and his condition was further aggravated by his "time of the month". Why couldn't things be easy?

"Quinn… Quinn, it's me. Sookie." I didn't see any recognition in the tiger's yellow eyes, but how would you read that kind of thing anyway?

"Quinn. Frannie sent me. I'm here to help." I tried to take a step closer to the tiger and get a better view of the trap that snared his front paw. When I was almost within reaching distance, he lunged at me. If he hadn't been held fast by metal jaws of the device, he would've torn my head off.

Okay, I was unquestionably scared now, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. And I certainly didn't want this crazed weretiger smelling fear on me.

"Quinn, shut up and listen! I want to free your foot, but I'm not going to be able to do that if you maul me." I tried to sound brave, but my voice was definitely shaking.

The weretiger sniffed the air, and looked at me quizzically. "Yes, I know. I smell different. I've been hanging around a bunch of fairies, and their scent rubbed off on me. I went to my Grandfather's house to heal after your mom ripped my chest open." At the mention of Quinn's mom, the weretiger hung his head and lay down.

I've never been quite sure how much a two-natured understands when they are in animal form, but from my past dealings with Weres I gathered it was more than the average bear.

In my trying to argue with the tiger, I hadn't noticed Eric coming up behind me. He motioned at the sky and looked at me nervously. Dawn was beginning to highlight the horizon, and he would need to go to ground soon. "We need to leave, Sookie."

"I'm not leaving him!"

"Sookie, I can't protect you if I burn to a crisp, and he's totally unpredictable. We'll come back at First Dark."

"Eric! I'm not leaving him!" I was really getting peeved now. "You go to ground, I know you have to. I don't hold it against you, but if I leave him here there's no telling what will happen. I won't be responsible for his death because some stupid hunter wants to check his trap in the daylight!"

I could see that Eric was torn. I knew he wanted to stay and be with me, but I also knew he wasn't ready to "meet the sun" as some call it.

"Please, Eric," I said gently. "Go. I'll see you tonight. I'll be careful."

Eric battled my gaze for a moment and finally conceded. He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead. What was this all the forehead kisses? He sifted my hair through his fingers and inhaled deeply. Then he turned to leave. As he wandered off into the distance I heard him laugh gently.

"Fairies…" he chuckled.

Okay, back to the tiger. Just me and the tiger. The used-to-be-my-boyfriend-but-clearly-had-gone-off-the-deep-end tiger. Now that Eric was gone, I wasn't feeling the bravado I had claimed. Who wouldn't be nervous trying to spring a wounded tiger from a trap. I looked into his yellow eyes. Man, how I missed those deep-violet velvet eyes that were his when he was in human form.

I moved to release the trap and the tiger just bared his teeth in a vicious snarl. That was it. I made up my mind that I was going to be brave, and I'd had enough.

"Listen Quinn," I snapped. "I came out here to free you and that's what I'm going to do. So you can suck it up long enough for me to release your foot, or you can eat me as your last meal. Either way is up to you. I'm done playing games."

_____________________

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the Characters (except Sara and Stan). Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

******

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a wee bit of Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after **_**From Dead to Worse**_

________________________________________

CHAPTER 5

I'm not sure quite how it happened, but by the grace of God, the tiger relaxed and let me near his shackled paw. With some effort, I was able to pry the trap loose. His paw was mangled and bloody, and he clearly wasn't in good enough shape to travel far.

"I saw several thickets not too far from here, near the stream's edge. They would provide us a bit of cover for hiding, and I can use the water to clean your wound. Do you think you can make it?"

In a show of good measure he moved toward the water. I was amazed that he could still manage to look graceful with only the use of three stable legs.

We waded through the stream for a bit to mask our scent and to cover his trail of blood, should the hunters come looking. We spotted a good hiding place just on the other bank. After allowing me to clean and bandage his wound (There went another of my favorite shirts. Glad I dressed in layers.), we nestled down and I covered us with vines.

******

When I woke the sun was much higher in the sky. Based on the position, I guessed it was somewhere around eleven o'clock. I was curled up between my tiger's enormous front paws and he was nudging me with his nose. He licked the back of my neck with his giant tongue. It was a surprisingly tender move for a tiger. I snuggled in deeper into his fur, and he purred.

"We need to get moving," I stated. "Do you think you can hike for a bit?"

The tiger looked past me and growled. At first I thought he was responding to my question, until I hear the low growl of a second tiger.

Quinn wrapped his paws around me possessively, and pulled me closer into his body. I felt his body tense, as he prepared to leap into action.

The other tiger was thinner than Quinn, and had a bit more grey.

_Oh great! The mother._

She gave a warning growl, but Quinn roared back. Quinn was half sitting now, ready to jump. Somehow, I had been moved further under his body from my former position of being in front of him. I really didn't want to be the front line of defense against her claws again, so I let Quinn stand over me like a dog protecting his bone.

With a few more growls their conversation concluded, and Quinn's mother sauntered away. Quinn was obviously triumphant, but he was still ticked, and his tail hadn't stopped twitching.

We made our way through the woods, and Quinn led me to a cabin. Thank goodness it was a different cabin than where we had been before. I didn't see anyone around, but signs showed that it had been used recently.

When we got close he halted and motioned for me to stop. I froze. The last time we did this we ended up having a skirmish with the Pelts. The circumstances were way too similar for my comfort.

A dark haired girl came out the front entrance of the house. Quinn nudged me in her direction. When I got closer to her, I discovered she was blind.

"Who's there?" the dark hair girl called into the woods.

I looked at Quinn, and the weretiger nodded. Okay, so maybe I did see him nod the other night at Eric.

"My name is Sookie. I'm a friend of Quinn's." I saw her relax immediately. Okay again. So they knew Quinn, and not on a fear-factor level.

"Sookie," the blind woman extended her hand. "I'm Sara. I've heard much about you. I'm pleased to finally meet you."

I wasn't quite sure how to go about this. I didn't know how much this woman knew about Quinn. I tried to probe her mind for any thoughts on the subject, but was surprised to find it completely locked.

"Quinn is, um… well, he's with me, but he's hurt. Is it okay if we come in?"

Sara immediately looked alarmed.

"Yes. Come in. Right away."

The tiger walked up to her hand, and put his head directly under it. Sara didn't jump as I would have expected. Instead she rubbed his fur lovingly through her fingers.

A wave of jealousy rose up in me. Perhaps this Sara was Quinn's new woman. After all, I had been the one who threw our relationship away. I no longer had the right to be angry, but I was. The tiger turned to look at me, but he didn't move from under Sara's hand. He was studying me, that was for sure. I was positive that he smelled my anger directed at the blind woman. Especially in tiger form, I guessed his senses would be heightened.

Sara led us into the cabin. It was cozy and rustic. There was plenty of open space, as I am sure you would need for a blind person to move around. I made my way to the couch. It was soft to my aching bones. Sleeping on the ground; or even between a tiger's paws, wasn't my idea of how to relax after being mauled by an enraged Were-mom.

*****

I hadn't meant to doze off. When I woke, it was about four thirty in the afternoon. Quinn had changed back to his human form. Somewhere he scrounged up food and a pair of pants. He was limping slightly, but I could see he was healing quickly. I know that the two-natured heal fast, but that doesn't mean I'm use to it.

His baggy sweatpants reminded me of his harem pants that he wore for special events. The ones that made him look like God's most perfect genie.

He brought me the plate of sandwiches and fruit, but he said nothing. He sat down across from me and just watched me. One of us was going to have to say something, but who knew where to begin. He was obviously wrestling with something, because even with his hurt ankle he was soon standing again and was pacing.

"Where's Sara?" I asked to break the silence.

"She went into town with her brother to get some things. They'll be back around sunset."

"Oh," was all I could say. I wanted to ask if Quinn and Sara were together. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry. I wanted to ask if he'd forgive me... but all the words stuck in my throat.

"Why did you come?" he finally asked.

"Frannie found me. She said you were in trouble. She said you needed help."

Quinn gruffed at my answer. "She shouldn't have gone to you."

I looked at Quinn tenderly. "Yes she should have. She was worried for you and she came to someone who she thought would help." Yep, all those feelings were still there. He had broken my heart when I hadn't heard from him in months. He had broken promises, even though technically it was beyond his control. But by, golly he still made my knees tremble. I ached when I thought of him, and the loneliness I felt as he paced on the other side of the room was becoming a chasm.

"Why did you come?" he asked again. This time he looked into my eyes.

I wanted to go to him, but I felt my legs had melded with the couch. My throat was dry and the best I could do is squeak out an answer. "Because you needed me."

"Who says I needed _you_, Babe?" His voice rumbled loud like thunder.

"Then, because I needed you," I whispered.

His violet eyes softened with my statement. He came over to me from across the room and paused, like he was going to kneel at my feet but thought better of it. Instead he took a step back and sat down on the coffee table.

"So is Sara your girlfriend?" I couldn't believe I found the courage to ask. The answer to this question was going to make or break me.

"Why does it matter?" he asked.

"It doesn't. I mean, it's none of my business anymore… but because, well, because...." I didn't know how to say _because I made a mistake and I want us together again. Because if she is, then I want to claw her eyes out, even though she'd done nothing but be hospitable to me. Because in the end, maybe I'm no better than Debbie Pelt._ But what I said was "Because if she is, then I should leave."

He looked at me hard, and in a sudden, swift movement he grabbed my hand. "Don't leave. She's just a friend."

The words barely began to register when he loomed over top of me and began to kiss me. This kiss was like our first. Colors swirled and it felt like the ground began to fade away. He pulled me up from the couch and pulled me closer into him. His arms wrapped tightly around me, and held me steady. It was a good thing he did, because I think my knees gave way. His tongue was rough like a cat, and it turned my insides to jelly as he ran it along the length of my neck. He dragged his tongue up close to my ear and then tugged at my earlobe with his teeth. "I missed you, Babe," he whispered into my ear. The way he said "Babe" made me shudder down to my toes.

___________________

TBC…

Thanks for reading. I have the skeleton of the next chapter, but it still needs some work. I'll try and have it finished in the next few days.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own the Characters (except Sara and Stan). Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

******

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a wee bit of Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after **_**From Dead to Worse**_

________________________________________

CHAPTER 6

How could a man this perfect be so enamored with me?

His kisses were rough and perfect. They tasted wild and warm. If you're used to kissing vampires, then a hot blooded animal makes you feel like you're on fire.

I put my hand up to his chest to stop him. Gracious heavens, I wanted this… but first we needed to talk.

He took my hint and pulled away, but not without first grabbing my hand and placing two of my fingers in his mouth. At first he just traced their tips and form with his tongue, but when he felt me start to pull away further he latched on and sucked harder. I thought I was going to lose it right there.

"Quinn, please. We need to talk." Curse my logical mind.

"Babe, it doesn't need to be said."

"Yes it does. At least it does for me." With my admission, he caved. He placed me back on the couch and then sat down lazily at my feet.

"The reasons why we broke up are still true. I care about you, but I don't know how long this is going to work if I always come second fiddle. I know it's not fair, and I know plenty of girls would count themselves lucky to have a guy who puts his family first… but I'm new at this whole relationship thing, and I need to know where I stand."

Quinn looked at me steadily and I saw a flash of yellow flit across his violet eyes. "I've disowned her, Babe."

My eyes widened. "Your mom?" I barely breathed. I remembered my conversation with Frannie, and then thought back to this morning in the woods. There had definitely been a battle of wills between him and his mother. I had been witness to a Were Abjuring once before. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"I came to Mississippi to settle my debt. She took sides against me; and against you, with that cartel of creeps that tried to do us harm. She chose her side. I just made it final."

"So what does that mean?" I knew that Abjuring was a Were ritual where you refused to acknowledge the offending party's presence from that day on. I just didn't know what that meant for Quinn and me.

"She's on her own, from here on out. She wanted to fall in with the Pelts, then the Pelt family can look after her. Frannie and you, Babe. You're my family."

I blushed with his sentiment. I could settle for sharing first rung with his sister. I too had placed my brother above all others at one time. That was until he betrayed me and put me in the position of having to crush the hand of friend named Calvin. Another stupid Were ritual.

"Quinn, I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for. You were right. I should've been honest from the beginning. From now on, no more secrets." He placed his head on my knee. I lazily traced circles across his bald head and down the back of his neck. I wasn't quite sure, but it sounded like he was purring.

Despite all we had been through, it felt like this always was. It felt like it had when we were together. Being here with Quinn, was like finding our way home. We sat like this for almost an hour. Both of us just thinking and talking, and soaking up the presence of one another.

Suddenly, Quinn jerked his head up. He looked out the window and sniffed. His lips curled. "Your vampboy is coming."

Truth be told, I had completely forgotten about Eric. I looked out the window, and sure enough, it had gotten dark. Darn that blood bond; he always knew where to find me.

Within a minute there was a knock on the door.

"You open it," Quinn growled, and he pulled himself up to full height.

I opened the door and Eric waited patiently for me to invite him in. "It's not my house, Eric. It's not my place to make that call for Sara." Eric nodded knowingly, but he clearly didn't like it. I stepped out on the porch so that Eric and I could talk. I started to close the door, and then chose to leave it open so that Quinn could hear. I didn't want him to think I was hiding anything.

"You have saved your tiger. So are you ready to go home?" Eric looked skeptically at Quinn. I could tell he was miffed because he spoke without contractions.

"What? Are you surprised? Are you shocked that I could free a maimed tiger without your assistance? Are you upset that little, human me could accomplish something without your help?" I knew what I was saying was unfair. Eric had been a big help. He had done the tracking, he had helped me locate Quinn. He had been there for me when Quinn had left me for dead; with a gaping chest, to chase after his crazy mom.

"I take it you no longer need my assistance," was all Eric said.

"No, thank you. I'm grateful for your help. You really came through." I tried to soften my words. It was the least I could do for him.

I hadn't noticed until this moment that Quinn had snuck up behind me. He was languidly leaning up against the doorway, but he was clearly making his presence known.

A car pulled up in the driveway. I saw Sara in the passenger seat and someone driving whom I assumed to be her brother. Sara got out of the car and made her way to the steps with little assistance. She started to extend her hand to Eric, but drew back. "Hello Viking, I'm Sara and that is my brother Stan." Okay, so the blind girl knew Eric was a Viking. That was different. Someone blind might have guessed from his lack of heat that he was a vampire, but to guess Viking? I couldn't read her mind, but she could clearly see without normal sight. I was becoming increasingly curious about this girl who had befriended my tiger.

Eric bowed low. "My name is Eric, My Lady. It is my pleasure to meet you."

I had never seen Eric appear so gracious and formal. Not even to his own queen. Now I was really curious.

Sara handed Quinn her groceries and invited Eric in. Quinn bristled at the invitation, but didn't protest. Eric looked at me and declined.

"My business here is through, My Lady. I will be on my way." Eric took my hand and gingerly placed a kiss on it. "Call me when you get home," he whispered. And with that he was gone.

Quinn took the groceries to the kitchen and helped Sara put them away. He spoke with Sara in a tone so low that I couldn't hear. She nodded, and then Quinn came over and laced his fingers in mine.

"Let's go, Babe."

I was confused, but Sara was Quinn's friend so I wasn't going to argue. Quinn changed clothes as I gathered our things, and I thanked her for her hospitality. Sara just smiled.

*******

Quinn's truck was parked around back. When we were down the road a way, I asked. "So, tell me. Who is she?"

"She's an Oracle. So is Stan. They're twins. They see things for what they really are."

"So they are both blind?"

"Only by human standards."

"But he was driving!" I shrieked.

Quinn didn't answer, he just looked amused.

I thought about it for a while, and my mind drifted back to the private conversation that Quinn had with Sara. What could they have been talking about? Quinn had promised no more secrets, so it didn't hurt to ask.

"What were you and Sara talking about before we left?"

"You."

I was totally floored. I wasn't sure that I wanted to know, but I asked anyway. "What about?"

"Your heritage, and your future."

"Are you going to tell me anything more than that?"

"Not unless you ask, Babe."

"Okay, so what if I ask?"

Quinn frowned. "I'd rather that you didn't. I promised no more secrets, so if you ask I'll tell you, but I'd rather you find out about your life on your own terms."

I measured his words in my head against my curiosity. I was lost in thought for quite some time, and was only brought back to reality when Quinn placed his hand on my knee and slowly ran his fingers up my leg. I jerked my head up and looked at him. He grinned.

I was surprised to realize we had stopped. We had parked at a restaurant, and Quinn hopped out and opened my door for me. Have to say one thing about his mama… before she went crazy, she raised him right.

When we entered the restaurant, the hostess smiled at Quinn and escorted us to the back. We were given a private room, and she closed the door. The room was nice, not too upscale, but it had a large fountain in the middle and plenty of greenery. There were couches for lounging next to the fountain and along the walls. Small bistro tables covered with tablecloths were tucked privately behind greenery and vines in each corner. The ceiling was made of a glass dome to give us a perfect view of the stars. A waiter came and lit candles around the room as he waited for us to pick from the menu. I certainly felt underdressed in my jeans and t-shirt for our surroundings, but Quinn was also wearing jeans and a t-shirt so maybe it wasn't too improper. At least we matched in our underdressed status. Quinn ordered for us, and the waiter disappeared.

"I wanted to bring you here since the first time I saw this place." Quinn said. He had a quiet smile on his face, but his eyes were distant.

"I'm a bit underdressed."

"Not for me, Babe. You're perfect." He leaned over and pulled me into him. He started to say something else, but instead he grabbed the back of my head with both of his hands and pulled me to his mouth. His hands were rough and strong. As he kissed me, one hand stayed possessively at the back of my neck as the other trailed down to the middle of my back. I melted into his embrace, and moaned. He responded with a low growl as he slid his tongue deeper into my mouth. Gracious heavens! That growl was going to make me lose it completely. He nipped at my lower lip with his teeth and gave me a wink when our waiter timidly knocked on the door.

The food looked amazing, but I was way past caring about dinner. Frankly speaking, my mind was much more on dessert. The waiter placed our dinner on the table, and pulled out a chilled bucket of wine. I've never been what one would call a wine connoisseur, but I have been known to enjoy a glass now and then.

The waiter left as quietly as he entered.

Quinn came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Where do you want to start, Babe." He snaked his tongue down the side of my neck and gently kissed me between my shoulder blades.

"Desert." My breathing hitched. "Definitely desert."

Quinn smiled and walked over to the table. He poured the wine, grabbed the chocolate truffle cake, and two forks. He took the glasses in one hand and the cake in the other. He snatched up a tablecloth off of an empty table in his teeth and gave me a mischievous wink. I followed him as he took me to the most secluded part of the fountain. He dropped the tablecloth, and handed me the wine glasses. He spread the cloth on the floor, and then took pillows from the couches and made a place for us on the floor.

Quinn took my hand and pulled me down to our private picnic. He sat behind me, and let me lean up against him. Taking a fork; he cut a slice of chocolate decadence and fed it to me. I tried to feed a forkful to him, but he just shook his head. He whispered into my ear, "I have something else in mind for my dessert." My insides quivered when he spoke. Talk about knowing how to make a girl swoon.

His left hand was laced with mine, and I pulled his fingers to my mouth. I started kissing them and I felt Quinn's chest rumble with a low, pleasured growl. I drew his fingers deeper into my mouth and began to suckle them. He started moaning audibly, and I felt his bulge rise.

Either the kissing or the wine was starting to go to my head because the flicker of the candles around the room started to dance like fireflies. He exhaled his hot breath on the back of my neck. The hairs on the back of my neck rose to attention, and so did other parts of my body. He used his right hand to sketch lazy patterns up my thigh with his fingers. He pulled me closer to him so that I could feel his body along the entire length of my back. He traced his fingers from my thigh up my breast, and as he touched me I whimpered.

My body craved Quinn. But it was more than that. My soul cried out for him to. From the very first time that we touched there were sparks that I had never felt with any man—or vampire.

I turned over to face him, and there on my knees I found love. He gently laid me back against the pillows and pressed his body on top of mine. His breath was coarse and heavy. "Are you sure, Babe?" he asked in a rugged gasp.

"Yes." This was where I was meant to be.

That was all the invitation that he needed. He breathed my name as he buried his head in my hair. And as he undid my jeans I heard him purr.


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own the Characters (except Sara and Stan). Charlaine Harris does.**

**I just own the new plot, but Ms. Harris is welcome to it if she ever wants to use it.**

******

**There just aren't enough "Sookie loves Quinn" stories out there, so this is dedicated to all you Quinn aficionados.**

**For you Sooke and Eric lovers... there's a wee bit of Eric goodness in here to.**

**Spoilers: Set after **_**From Dead to Worse**_

_**_____________________________________________________  
**_

CHAPTER 7

I was lying on my back with my beautiful tiger hovering above me. He held himself up with one hand as he lifted my neck to draw me to his mouth with the other. Man, I bet he's phenomenal at one handed push-ups.

I stared at Quinn's muscles that rippled as he moved. What miracle did I perform that earned the attentions of such a perfect man? Not just his body, but his heart was flawless… his tenderness… and Good Gracious, he was sex on paws!

He garnished my body with kisses as he lowered himself to my center. He laid himself between my thighs and looked at me earnestly; begging permission one last time. I nodded. How could I not? I wanted this. I needed this. In a less involved moment I probably would have scolded myself for just how much I needed this.

He rested his head on my leg to watch the work of his fingers. His touch was so light that he barely brushed me. My body twitched as it begged for more. He swooped his head down and tasted me, and I arched my back as he relished me with his tongue. I dripped with pleasure, and he purred. The hum of his purr vibrated through my entire body, and my heart fluttered in response.

"I've missed you, Quinn. I've needed you."

"Me too." He didn't have to quantify any further. It was all there for me to read in his eyes.

He raised his body to match his lips to mine. He kissed me gently as his fingers entered me, and I moaned.

"Don't be gentle, Quinn," I breathed. "Gentle can come later, but not tonight."

Quinn growled as he claimed my lips, and pulled me in, deep.

He entered me hard and fast. Primal. Like a tiger should be. He pulled my legs around his waist and held me to him as he thrust himself deeper in. A wave of ecstasy rolled over me as he pounded; rough. For the first time in my life there was no need to say "harder" or "deeper". He already was.

"Sookie. I've dreamed of taking you like this," he growled. "Right here. Just like this. Since I first saw this place…"

I gasped.

_Gracious mercy, he was good!_

I splayed my arms and clawed desperately for something stable to hold on to. Finding nothing, I pressed my palms to the floor. This small act raised my body slightly higher, readjusting the angle and caused him to find a depth in me I didn't know existed. I was so close to letting go completely, but before I could reach the edge he removed himself from me.

I groaned with the loss.

"Please, Quinn…" but when I looked at him to plead, he was grinning.

He ran his rough tongue from my navel up to the valley of my chest, and then flipped me over and claimed me from behind.

I couldn't help but scream his name.

I embraced the floor with my hands and knees as he buried himself completely. A low roar escaped his lips, and he pounded me harder. He wrapped his hand around my body to clutch my breast, and he licked me; in one stroke, from the center of my back to the small of my neck.

The way he moved in me made every part of me quiver. I swore I could hear the song of the stars that twinkled above. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, he leaned over and whispered low into my ear, "Cum with me, Babe."

And that was all it took to catapult us both beyond awareness.

*********

We lay on pillows looking up at the stars. They seemed to dance and twinkle in tune with my heartbeat. I put my head on Quinn's chest and listened as my heartbeat matched his.

"You know, Babe, this means we've started something."

"I know." I smiled.

"You okay with that?" he asked. He rolled over, propped himself on one elbow, and looked into my eyes.

"I'm more than okay," I replied.

Quinn grinned. "Good, 'cause you're not going to be able to keep me away." He kissed me lightly on the lips, and then stood.

He extended his hands to help me off the floor. I'd never been with a man who was such a gentleman; unless you count Eric when he "forgot" he was Eric, but that's another story. You'd think that vamps after having so many years on this planet would have picked up a few more etiquette lessons. It seemed that instead, the older they were the ruder they became.

We tidied up our mess and had our food packed to go. I wondered as we were leaving the restaurant how thick the doors for our room to the main dining room really were, and how many patrons heard. The staff looked none the wiser except for one waiter who winked at me. Glad he wasn't our waiter. I couldn't have stood that.

As we walked into the parking lot it occurred to me that the hostess automatically showed us to our "table" without Quinn telling them what he wanted, or even giving them his name.

"Honey, how did they know where to seat us?"

Quinn nonchalantly said, "I did a few events there, and I told them when I brought my girl, that that's where I wanted to be seated."

"So how many girls have you taken there?" I tried to be coy. I knew I was treading on thin territory, but I wanted to know.

We had reached our vehicle, and Quinn spun me around and set me up on the hood of the truck so that he meet me eye to eye. "If you have something to say just ask it," he growled.

"Okay. How many girls have you dated since us?"

He released his hold on me, and looked at my shoes. "Two. One was a worthless whore of a rebound chic. Even she knew what she was. She wanted my money, and I wanted to forget."

Okay, so he'd been with someone, but he knew it was meaningless at the time. He clearly wasn't happy about it, and it's not like I expected him to pine away for me forever. I certainly didn't give him any reason to think we would be together again. But wait, he said there were two. I steadied myself for the worst before asking.

"And… the second…?"

Quinn looked up at me and grinned. "I took my sister to a concert."

*****

We made it to my little town faster than I had expected. We were having so much fun on the drive I was sorry to see Bon Temps coming into view.

"Honey," I asked, "do you have anywhere to go, or can you stay a while?"

"Nowhere to be. I took the month off. I didn't know how long it would be before the mess was cleaned up."

I realized that for all of our talking he never said what he did in the woods. I could guess. Probably a pretty accurate guess, but this was his personal matter and I wasn't going to pry.

He looked at me and took my hand. I could feel his anxiety and hesitation. "If you want to know, I'll tell you."

"That's up to you."

"For this I'm gonna want a beer. You want to tell your boss you're back?"

"Sure."

It wasn't long before we pulled into Merlotte's. As always the perfect gentleman, Quinn held the door open for me. When we walked in Sam, my boss, smiled at me and nodded at Quinn. A new waitress took our order. I was gonna have to get the scoop on her from Sam when I got a chance.

We'd had our first round of drinks and Sam motioned for us to join him in the back office. Sam nodded to Quinn "Things went well, I take it."

Quinn beamed. "Sookie was a champ."

"She always is," Sam agreed.

I started to blush under such praise.

Sam got quiet and then looked at Quinn. "You want to tell me why Sandra Pelt came in here looking for Sookie three nights ago?"

Quinn and I both bristled. He looked over at me and then back at Sam. Suddenly, Quinn looked very tired.

"She's the only one that got away." Quinn looked back at me. "That's what I was going to tell you. She swore a blood vengeance on you, and her whole clan jumped on board. The rest of them are finished, but I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of Sandra Pelt."

_Of course not._

I started feeling queasy. Before I knew about the whole supernatural world my life was normal and death was something that happened naturally; or in the movies. Now death was becoming commonplace. It seemed like I was either on the hunted list or the hunting end. Was it the Supes that were out of touch with society, or was the world out of touch with them?

"And your mother?" Sam asked. "Is she going to come in here to trying to kill Sookie?"

Quinn said nothing and just looked away. I had told Sam before I left why I needed the time off. Now, looking at the pain in Quinn's eyes I was regretting it.

"He disowned her," I whispered to Sam. Sam nodded, understanding.

Quinn spoke with steel, "Sookie has nothing to fear. What happened between us is final."

******

When we got home the house was silent. My roomies had gone, and had left a note that they would be out of town for a few days. Lucky us!

Quinn had been somber ever since Sam's questions. He sat down on the couch and I cuddled up to him. He put his arm around me and stroked my hair.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," I said.

He looked at me and gave me a thin smile.

"I went wild while I was there. I didn't shift. I didn't change. I stayed in my Were form for over two weeks. If it hadn't been for you, Babe, I'm not sure I wouldv'e ever come back. I killed them all—all but Sandra and that other weretiger that found you. I was hunting her when she found you. If she had killed you, there would have been no one to bring me back, not even Frannie. She'd already tried. I guess that was why she left to find you. I hunted until there was nothing left of me but a hunter." After saying all of this he put his head in his hands.

I leaned over to kiss him and asked, "Do you want a beer?"

"Sounds good." He paused for a minute and then said, "Thank you, Sookie." I knew he meant for more than just the beer.

As I went to the kitchen, two unrequested vampires waltzed in; the blonde haired and dark haired thorns in my side. Quinn sensed their presence and he too came into the kitchen.

"What do you guys want now?" I was definitely irritated.

"We're the welcome wagon," Eric said brightly. Bill just looked sheepish and sullen, but I guess that was his normal demeanor around me these days.

Quinn put his arm around my waist. "Everything okay, Babe?"

"Fine, Honey. Thanks." I kissed him lightly on the cheek and motioned for the nighttime brigade to meet me outside.

By the time I had gotten outside, Bill was gone. I wasn't sure if Eric had sent him home, or if he had gone of his own accord. Either way was fine with me. I didn't need Mr. Grumpypants bringing down my good mood. Eric was leaning against the porch looking up at the stars.

"What is it, Eric?"

He didn't turn to look at me; he just continued taking in the nighttime sky and said, "You were to call me when you arrived home."

"I just got here a half an hour ago. What did you want me to do? Pick up the phone before I turned the lights on?"

_Now_ he looked at me.

"That would have been prompt." Okay, Eric was trying to get me riled. An impish grin flittered across his face. "I'm glad to see you're home and safe. So, you're with Quinn now?"

"Yes. I am definitely with Quinn."

"Are you happy?"

Eric suddenly acting like an old gal-pal was a little unnerving.

"Yes. Very happy."

"Do you love him?" he asked quietly.

I paused and thought about it for a moment. This wasn't something I had taken the time to mull over for myself, let alone to disclose to someone else. "I don't know, yet."

"But you love me." There he went again, making a question into a statement.

"Yes… I guess in a weird way, I do."

Eric beamed me a great, big grin. "Then I can wait, Lover." He brushed a kiss across my forehead as he whispered, "I have all the time in the world." And with that, he was gone.

_____________________________________________________

_**NOTE TO READERS:**_

_**So I guess you can tell that I'm both a Quinn and an Eric fan (it varies with my mood which one is my favorite). **_

_**When I started writing, I hadn't planned to take the story beyond this point—but as I got closer to the end I started to see where this story might lead… **_

_**If you like it, let me know, and if there is enough interest I'll scribble a sequel.**_

_**Oh yeah, and I've never really written a sex scene before and I didn't want to do the normal "she's tight, he's big" kind of thing, so I'm really interested to know what you all think.**_

_**Thanks for taking the time to read, and letting me share. I had a blast writing.**_


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